Basketball: UTSA women and men to recognize seniors

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women have clinched a berth in the 10-team American Conference women’s basketball tournament, a team spokesman said Sunday.

The spokesman said the Roadrunners clinched on Saturday when Tulane defeated Wichita State.

UTSA will host the Memphis Tigers on Sunday at 3 p.m. Before the game, the Roadrunners will honor Cheyenne Rowe, Ereauna Hardaway and Nyayongah Gony on Senior Day.

Records

Memphis 9-19, 3-12
UTSA 12-14, 7-8

Coming up

Tulsa at UTSA, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Rice, Saturday, March 7, 2 p.m.

Men’s basketball

In the second game of a basketball doubleheader at the Convocation Center, the Roadrunners men will host the Wichita State Shockers at 7 p.m.

UTSA will hold a postgame ceremony on Senior Night, recognizing Stanley Borden, LJ Brown, Mo Njie and Jamir Simpson.

Records

Wichita State 19-10, 11-5
UTSA 5-23, 1-15
x-UTSA has been eliminated from tournament consideration

Coming up

UTSA at Rice, Sunday, March 8, 2 p.m.

College baseball: UTSA vs. Baylor today in Houston

Posted on by
Reply

BRUCE BOLT College Classic
At Houston, Daikin Park

Results

Friday

UTSA beats Ohio State, 6-5
Baylor beats (25) Ole Miss, 6-5, 10 innings
(3) Texas beats (9) Coastal Carolina, 8-1

Saturday

(25) Ole Miss beats Ohio State, 8-0
UTSA beats (9) Coastal Carolina, 16-10
(3) Texas beats Baylor, 5-2

Sunday

(9) Coastal Carolina beat (25) Ole Miss, 9-2
(3) Texas vs. Ohio State, 2:05 p.m.
UTSA vs. Baylor, 6:05 p.m.

UTSA hits five home runs and downs ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina, 16-10

Posted on by
Reply


UTSA left fielder Drew Detlefsen dives and makes a tumbling catch in the bottom of the eighth. Detlefsen also hit two home runs in a four-for-six performance at the plate. – Video from UTSA athletics.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Two standouts in UTSA’s run to the NCAA Super Regionals last year made an emphatic statement on Saturday in Houston.

With their play against the ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Drew Detlefsen and Andrew Stucky suggested that the Roadrunners might just have the leadership to conjure up another magical season.

Detlefsen and Stucky both stroked four hits and combined for three home runs as the Roadrunners rolled to a 16-10 victory over the Chanticleers in Houston.

On Day 2 of the BRUCE BOLT College Classic, the Roadrunners jumped out to a commanding early lead and then cruised to their ninth win in 10 games.

Coastal Carolina, a 2025 College World Series finalist, fell to 6-4. The Chanticleers are playing without standout pitchers Cameron Flukey, Hayden Johnson and others and just couldn’t match up with the Roadrunners.

UTSA produced 18 hits and belted five home runs, including two by Detlefsen and one by Stucky. Lane Haworth and Josh Arquette also hit homers, with Arquette pounding a grand slam.

Detlefsen had an impact with his glove and his bat. Not only did he make a diving catch in left field in the eighth inning to blunt a Coastal Carolina rally, he also finished with four RBIs to match Arquette’s total.

Arquette, a newcomer who played last year at Panola College, leads UTSA with 17 RBIs for the season, while Detlefsen has 15.

Detlefsen paced the Roadrunners with 70 RBIs last season as the Roadrunners surged to 47 victories and championships in the American Conference regular season and the NCAA Austin Regional.

Roadrunners freshman righthander Jake Qualia (2-0) emerged as the winning pitcher against the Chanticleers despite yielding six runs, five of them earned, and nine hits in 4 and 2/3 innings of relief.

Chanticleers starter Ross Norman (1-2) took the loss after working 2 and 2/3 and giving up seven runs on eight hits. ‘

UTSA entered the second day of the classic with some momentum, coming off a 6-5 victory over the Ohio State on Friday.

Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, couldn’t get much going offensively in an 8-1 loss to Texas on Friday night.

The Roadrunners, batting in the top of the first, jumped out to a 3-0 lead nine pitches into the game, before many of the fans could walk from the concession stand to their seats.

Facing pitcher Ross Norman, UTSA’s Caden Miller led off with an opposite-field double to left field. Detlefsen followed with a bloop RBI single to left.

Haworth, the third batter in the game, launched a two-run homer to right field to make it 3-0.

The Chanticleers responded in the bottom half, scoring a run against UTSA starter Kendall Dove.

Dean Milos pounded a lead-off double down the left field line. The next batter, Trace Mazon, bounced a grounder down the line as the throw from third baseman Arquette went past Miller for an error. Milos scored and Mazon reached second.

From there, Dove got tough, retiring three straight. He fanned Rex Watson, popped up Walker Mitchell and got Blake Barthol on a fly ball to right.

In the top of the third, the Roadrunners responded again, scoring four runs against Norman to break the game open. Detlefsen singled and stole second base and then Haworth walked.

After a Coastal Carolina coach visited the mound, Stucky singled to load the bases. Arquette then unloaded with the grand slam into the left field seats to make it 7-1.

The Roadrunners added six runs in the top of the fifth, an outburst capped by Detlefsen’s two-run homer off Jaxon Appleman. When the homer landed in the seats above the high wall in left, UTSA held a 13-1 lead.

Coastal Carolina, a program with pride and a 2016 national title, retaliated in the bottom half. The Chanticleers knocked Dove out of the game and went on to score five runs. They added another in the sixth for good measure to make it 13-7.

Threatened by the Coastal Carolina rally, UTSA turned to Stucky and Detlefsen to put the game away.

Stucky hit a solo homer in the eighth, a high-arcing ball to left, and Detlefsen added another in a two-run ninth as the Roadrunners took a 16-7 lead.

Records

UTSA 9-1
Coastal Carolina 6-4

Coming up

UTSA vs. Baylor, Sunday, 6:05 p.m., in Houston (at Daikin Park)

Saturday’s scores

(25) Ole Miss beat Ohio State, 8-0
UTSA beat (9) Coastal Carolina, 16-10
(3) Texas beat Baylor, 5-2

Sunday’s schedule

(9) Coastal Carolina vs. (25) Ole Miss, 10:05 a.m.
(3) Texas vs. Ohio State, 2:05 p.m.
UTSA vs. Baylor, 6:05 p.m.

Notable

UTSA is playing without two of its best players, both of them out possibly for the season. Infielder Nathan Hodge hasn’t played at all and ace pitcher Rob Orloski threw only 23 pitches in the opener. Both are out with injuries to their throwing arms.


UTSA catcher Andrew Stucky smashes a solo home run in the eighth inning on a ball that glances off the bricks in left field. Stucky went four for five and scored three runs against Coastal Carolina. – Video from UTSA athletics

College baseball: UTSA vs. ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina in Houston

Posted on by
Reply

BRUCE BOLT College Classic
At Houston, Daikin Park

Results

Friday’s scores

UTSA beats Ohio State, 6-5
Baylor beats (25) Ole Miss, 6-5, 10 innings
(3) Texas beats (9) Coastal Carolina, 8-1

Saturday’s games

(25) Ole Miss beats Ohio State, 8-0
UTSA vs. (9) Coastal Carolina, 3:05 p.m.
Baylor vs. (3) Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Sunday’s games

Coastal Carolina vs. (25) Ole Miss, 10:05 a.m.
Texas vs. Ohio State, 2:05 p.m.
UTSA vs. Baylor, 6:05 p.m.

College baseball: UTSA holds off Ohio State, 6-5, in Houston

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Pitcher Sam Simmons entered in relief in the top of the ninth inning and retired three straight batters on ground balls, as the UTSA Roadrunners quelled a rally and held off the Ohio State Buckeyes, 6-5, on Friday afternoon in Houston.

As a result, the Roadrunners will take an 8-1 record into their second game of the BRUCE BOLT College Classic on Saturday afternoon at Daikin Park against ninth-ranked Coastal Carolina.

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark. UTSA beat Texas 7-4 on Sunday, June 1, 2025, to win the NCAA baseball tournament Austin Regional. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners improved to 8-1 after beating Ohio State 6-5 on Friday in Houston. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Daikin Park, the home of Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros, is hosting the multi-team event over three days through Sunday. UTSA is playing in the invitational for the first time following its run last season to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Coming from behind against the Buckeyes from the Big Ten Conference, the Roadrunners produced two-out hits in both the sixth and seventh innings, scoring two runs on each, to take a 5-3 lead.

Designated hitter Garrett Gruell stroked a two-RBI single in the sixth and then Lane Haworth blasted a two-run homer in the seventh. In the eighth, the Roadrunners manufactured a run, thanks to the speed of Christian Hallmark.

First, Hallmark was hit by a pitch. Next, he stole second. With one out, Diego Diaz came to bat for UTSA and chopped a ground ball to the right side.

When Ohio State first baseman Steven Cavaco touched first base for the second out of the inning, the coach’s son didn’t slow down on a mad dash for home plate.

Diving head first, he was tagged by catcher Mason Eckelman, but the ball popped out as the hard-charging base runner made impact with the glove. He touched home to make it 6-3.

In the ninth, the Buckeyes put their first two batters aboard against UTSA’s Mike DeBattista on an infield single by Miles Vandenheuvel and a double to left by Lee Ellis.

With runners at second and third and nobody out, Simmons, who played in high school at Houston-area Manvel, entered the game to pitch.

Ground balls by Eckelman and Noah Furcht pushed across one run apiece, but Simmons finished the game when Henry Kaczmar bounced out to second.

Defending American Conference champion UTSA (8-1) is scheduled to play Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon and Baylor on Sunday night.

Coastal Carolina, from the Sun Belt Conference, won the 2016 national title and last season reached the championship round before falling to LSU at the Men’s College World Series.

The Chanticleers ran into trouble Friday night in their first game, as the third-ranked Texas Longhorns hit four home runs and beat them 8-1. Coastal Carolina will take a 6-3 record into the UTSA game.

Records

Ohio State 5-3
UTSA 8-1

Coming up

UTSA vs. Coastal Carolina, Saturday, 3:05 p.m.
UTSA vs. Baylor, Sunday, 6:05 p.m.

The road to Houston

The Roadrunners opened the season with seven straight victories at home.

Included in the record start were three consecutive victories over Dallas Baptist, a perennial NCAA tournament team. Playing on the road Tuesday in San Marcos, they lost 7-2 to the Texas State Bobcats.

Lane Haworth. UTSA beat South Dakota State 17-4 in the Roadrunners' 2026 baseball season opener on Friday, Feb. 13, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Lane Haworth hit a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning to give UTSA a 5-3 lead. He blasted his first homer in a UTSA uniform into the right field seats at Daikin Park. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Ohio State started its season with three straight wins in Pensacola, Fla., against Saint Louis.

The Buckeyes next played four straight in Memphis. They lost the first and third games in the event to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and won the second and fourth games against the Memphis Tigers.

Notable

Starting pitchers for UTSA and Ohio State put on a good show. UTSA’s Connor Kelley battled with control problems early, but he made it through four and a third innings, allowing three runs on six hits.

Though Kelley walked four, he showcased a high-velocity fastball, striking out seven in a 105-pitch performance.

For Ohio State, Gavin Kuzniewski pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Roadrunners relief pitchers held their own.

After Noah Furcht blasted a one-out, solo homer off Kelley in the top of the fifth to give the Buckeyes a 3-1 lead, UTSA lefthander Christopher Gutierrez entered and struck out both batters he faced to close the inning.

Winning pitcher Mike DeBattista (2-0) worked three innings, yielding two runs on five hits and no walks, while striking out two. DeBattista was lifted in the ninth after giving up an infield single to Miles Vandenheuvel and a double to Lee Ellis.

Replacing DeBattista, Simmons secured his first save of the season after he retired Mason Eckelman and Furcht on ground balls, with both of them pushing runs across, before getting Henry Kaczmar on a bouncer to second.

Ohio State reliever Zak Sigman (1-1) took the loss after giving up the go-ahead, two-run homer to Lane Haworth, a Wichita State transfer who entered the game as UTSA’s leading hitter.

Both Haworth and Garrett Gruell finished with two hits and two RBIs apiece.

Ohio State out-hit UTSA, 11-7. The Buckeyes showed good pop on offense with five hits going for extra bases. Ellis had two hits, both of them doubles. Furcht homered into the Crawford boxes and drove in two in a two-for-five performance.

Also getting two hits apiece were Kaczmar and Maddix Simpson. Kaczmar singled up the middle in the top of the first inning to give Ohio State a 2-0 lead.

East Carolina rallies with free throws in the final seconds to beat UTSA, 82-81

Posted on by
Reply
Jamir Simpson. UTSA lost to East Carolina 82-81 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA senior Jamir Simpson produced a team-high 22 points, 10 assists and five steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Senior guard Demitri Gardner grabbed an offensive rebound and hit three free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining Wednesday night to lift the East Carolina Pirates to an 82-81 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners in American Conference men’s basketball.

“Really tough loss,” UTSA coach Austin Claunch said. “Really proud of the six guys that played. Obviously we’re really banged up right now. Those six really battled and gave us a chance to win.

“Got to make one more play to win.”

In a game played in front of an announced 1,037 at the Convocation Center, the Pirates trailed by 11 points early in the second half and scored 11 in a row to get back into contention.

For the remainder of the game, UTSA held a one- or two-possession lead for most of the rest of the way. With 7.2 seconds remaining, Jamir Simpson knocked down two free throws to give the Roadrunners an 81-78 edge.

Austin Claunch. UTSA lost to East Carolina 82-81 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Coach Austin Claunch said the Roadrunners played with only six healthy scholarship players. – Photo by Joe Alexander

From there, the Pirates inbounded and rushed it up the court. ECU guard Corey Caulker was fouled with 5.1 seconds left. With Caulker at the line, he made the first free throw and missed the next one.

The ball caromed high above the lane, where it appeared a UTSA player tipped it outside.

Gardner grabbed it and went up for a shot and was fouled by UTSA’s Dorian Hayes. Because he was outside the 3-point arc when he shot it, he was rewarded with three free throws.

At the stripe with ECU down by two and the game on the line, the former Division II player at Augusta (Ga.) made the first two to tie it.

At that point, UTSA called time. When the teams returned to the floor, Gardner hit the go-ahead free throw for the final point of the game.

UTSA inbounded and threw the ball to the other end, but a three by Hayes was defended well and off the mark. With the win, the Pirates (10-18, 5-10 in the American) kept alive their hopes for a conference tournament bid.

The Roadrunners (5-23, 1-15) have already been eliminated from tournament contention, but with the setback, they fell deeper into the cellar in the American. They have lost three in a row and 20 of their last 21.

In addition, they have dropped 10 straight at home, with the home finale set for Sunday night against Wichita State.

Their last win at the Convocation Center came on Nov. 18 when they defeated sub-NCAA Southwestern Christian, 103-70.

Claunch said that on Caulker’s missed free throw, the Roadrunners “had guys that had rebounds in there, and we’ve got to find a way to come up with that.

East Carolina coach Michael Schwartz. UTSA lost to East Carolina 82-81 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina coach Michael Schwartz has seen his team rally to beat UTSA in San Antonio by one point in each of the last two seasons. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Again, I don’t know who was where, exactly, and how it got tipped around,” he added. “I know we had the ball in our hands. It looked like the ball was up. You got to squeeze it … go make your free throws and win the game.

“And so, just a learning experience for some young guys. A tough one. A tough one to learn.”

With the win, East Carolina swept the season series against UTSA. Two weeks ago, the Pirates beat the Roadrunners 88-72 in Greenville, N.C.

Individuals

East Carolina – Jordan Riley, the second-leading scorer in the nation, produced 27 points. Riley connected on seven field goals, including three 3-pointers. He also made 10 free throws in 14 attempts. Gardner finished with 13 points, while Caulker had 12 and Giovanni Emejuru 11.

UTSA – Jamir Simpson led the Roadrunners with 22 points on eight of 11 shooting. He also passed for 10 assists. Hayes had 18 points and knocked down four three pointers. Daniel Akitoby scored 17 and made eight of 11 from the field, including three first-half dunks. Brent Moss finished with 10 points.

Records

East Carolina 10-18, 5-10
UTSA 5-23, 1-15

Coming up

Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 7 p.m.

Daniel Akitoby. UTSA lost to East Carolina 82-81 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Daniel Akitoby enjoyed a big game with 17 points and nine rebounds. He threw down three dunks and shot eight for 11 from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Notable

UTSA’s heartbreaking loss felt a little like last year. On Feb. 8, 2025, the Roadrunners hosted the Pirates at the Convocation Center and had them beat, leading by four points in the final minute.

But after they committed two turnovers in the last 21 seconds, the Roadrunners gave up a three-point play to Jordan Riley and then a turnaround jumper to C.J. Walker. Ultimately, they fell to the Pirates, 80-79.

East Carolina is 8-0 all time against UTSA.

East Carolina guard Demitri Gardner joined the team at the semester break after spending the past three seasons at NCAA Division II Augusta University (Ga.)

He entered the UTSA game averaging 11 points and shooting 87.5 percent at the free-throw line. He was four of five at the stripe against the Roadrunners.

Claunch mentioned in his postgame news conference that UTSA is down to six healthy scholarship players.

“I’m really proud of how they fought,” the coach said. “Two guys (Dorian Hayes and Jamir Simpson) played 40 minutes. We’re down to six scholarship healthy players right now. And they deserved to win. But you got to finish. You got to finish everything.

“Played well enough to put ourselves in position, and like I say, you got to go make one more play. I’m proud of those six guys competing, the way they’re competing through everything.

“Really says a lot about who they are.”

Dorian Hayes. UTSA lost to East Carolina 82-81 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Dorian Hayes scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. He hit four 3-point baskets. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, the American Conference’s player availability report listed six UTSA players as not available, either out for the game or for the season.

Two players who were not on the inactive list did not play against the Pirates. Those two were forward Kaidon Rayfield, a freshman forward who is on scholarship, and guard LJ Brown, a walk on point guard.

Both Rayfield and Brown played in UTSA’s last game, a 100-77 road loss on Sunday at Tulsa. Claunch said the 6-foot-9 Rayfield aggravated an ankle injury at Tulsa.

Moss, one of UTSA’s best players over the past month, suffered an apparent ankle injury in the second half against East Carolina.

“Right now he’s kind of playing on adrenaline,” Claunch said. “I’m sure he’ll be walking gingerly tomorrow.

“We won’t be doing anything tomorrow. Got to see about Friday. Probably do something (like) walk through. Same thing Saturday at this point. We got to make sure we’re at our highest energy level on Sunday night.”

After hosting Wichita State on Sunday, UTSA’s season finale is set for the following Sunday, March 8, at Rice University.

First half

The Roadrunners shot a sizzling 62 percent from the field and surged behind Akitoby and Hayes to a 43-24 halftime lead.

Akitoby knocked down a three-pointer and had three dunks against the East Carolina zone defense en route to 13 points.

Hayes also scored 13 on four of seven shooting. The freshman from Houston hit three from beyond the 3-point arc.

Riley, the second leading scorer in the nation, scored nine. He also had a couple of assists and three steals.

East Carolina's Jordan Riley. UTSA lost to East Carolina 82-81 in American Conference men's basketball on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

East Carolina’s Jordan Riley, the second-leading scorer in the nation, produced 18 of his 27 points in the second half as the Pirates rallied for an 82-81 victory at the Convocation Center. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA men’s basketball hopes to win out with three games left

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Even with the UTSA men’s basketball team eliminated from a chance to secure a berth in the American Conference tournament, Coach Austin Claunch has a goal with three games left to play in a dismal season.

“We intend to win all three,” he said.

Claunch’s quest starts Wednesday night at the Convocation Center when the Roadrunners (5-22, 1-14) host Jordan Riley and the East Carolina Pirates (9-18, 4-10).

The Pirates beat the Roadrunners 88-72 two weeks ago in Greenville, N.C. It was the 17th straight loss for UTSA in a program-record skid.

Since then, UTSA broke the streak with an 88-79 victory at Charlotte and then dropped two games, losing 60-52 at home to the Florida Atlantic University Owls and then getting blown out 100-74 at Tulsa.

Riley is the leading scorer in the American and No. 2 in the nation, averaging 23.6 points per game.

The Roadrunners did a respectable job on Riley in Greenville, holding him to 19 points on five of 14 shooting. But the Pirates compensated by shooting 46 percent as a team and had three other players in double figures.

Guard Isaiah Mbeng hit four 3-pointers and scored 18.

The Pirates won the game in the first half when they held the Roadrunners to 28 percent shooting and bolted to a 46-31 lead.

According to the conference’s player availability report, both Austin Nunez and Mo Njie are out for Wednesday night’s game, bringing to six the number of players on the roster inactive for the third-to-last game in the regular season.

UTSA will have eight players available to play against East Carolina.

Records

UTSA 5-22, 1-14
East Carolina 9-18, 4-10

Coming up

Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 7 p.m.

I-35 baseball rivalry: Texas State snaps UTSA’s seven-game winning streak

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Freshman Clayton Namken from New Braunfels High School belted a two-run homer and had four hits Tuesday night as the Texas State Bobcats recorded a 7-2 victory, snapping a season-opening, seven-game winning streak by the UTSA Roadrunners.

In the game attended by 2,315 fans at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas State pitching also flustered UTSA, striking out 14, as the home team broke a three-game losing streak to its Interstate 35 rival.

With the victory, Texas State improved to 64-42 against UTSA in the all-time series.

Drew Detlefsen launched a solo home run in the sixth and Caden Miller scored on a wild pitch in the eighth for the Roadrunners, who were held to seven hits. UTSA had scored 81 runs on 91 hits in its first seven games, all at home.

Texas State scored two runs in the first inning. In the second, they added two more on Namken’s blast over the right field wall, ending the night for UTSA starter Christian Okerholm.

UTSA had a chance to get back into the game in the top of the fourth, but a Texas State defensive gem stopped the uprising.

With two runners aboard via base hit, Roadrunners slugger Josh Arquette hit a sinking liner into right center. The Bobcats, somewhat miraculously, turned it into a double play.

Texas State center fielder Jackson Cotton made a running catch and fired to shortstop Dawson Park, who whirled and thew a strike to third baseman Chase Mora. Mora tagged out a sliding Lane Haworth for the second out of the inning.

As it turned out, UTSA did not score in the inning. At the same time, Bobcats pitching was in high gear. Starter Sam Hall struck out four over the first two innings. Freshman lefty Titan Targac followed Hall and fanned six more.

Targac (1-1) pitched three innings, gave up one run on four hits and fanned six, including three straight in the fifth. Okerholm (0-1) took the loss.

Freshmen played a major role in the victory for the Bobcats. Namkin homered and roped three singles. Cotton made the defensive play in the fourth and reached base three times, with a single, a double and a walk.

Others included outfielder Tanner Carson from Southlake who roped a two-run double to left field in the fifth. In the pitching department, freshman Wade Cooper from Del Rio yielded one run while fanning four in the last two innings.

Records

UTSA 7-1
Texas State 6-2

Coming up

UTSA vs. Ohio State, Friday, 11:05 a.m., at Daikin Park, in Houston, at the Bruce Bolt College Classic
UTSA vs. Coastal Carolina, Saturday, 3:05 p.m., at Daikin Park in Houston
UTSA vs. Baylor, Sunday, 6:05 p.m., at Daikin Park in Houston
(Daikin Park is the home of Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros)

Notable

Cade Smith, a Texas State sophomore from San Antonio Churchill, pitched two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh.

Entering in relief with a runner at second base in the sixth, he retired three straight to end the threat. He retired another three straight in the seventh.

It was the first win for the Bobcats in the I-35 rivalry since March of 2024 when they won 14-13 in San Marcos. In the wake of that game, the Roadrunners won three straight in the series.

UTSA won 11-9 in San Antonio in April of 2024 and then swept both meetings last season.

In 2025, the Roadrunners beat the Bobcats 12-9 in San Antonio and then 18-13 in San Marcos en route to a 47-15 record and their first-ever berth in the NCAA Super Regionals.

Both coaches Pat Hallmark at UTSA and Steve Trout at Texas State started with their respective programs in the 2020 season. Since then, the Roadrunners and the Bobcats are 5-5 in head-to-head matchups.

The two teams will play again in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 12, at Roadrunner Field.

For Texas State and UTSA, the games are non conference. UTSA plays in the American and Texas State plays in the Sun Belt. Texas State is moving to the Pac 12 next season.

The teams once shared membership in the Southland and in the Western Athletic Conference.

Correction: Clayton Namken’s name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.

North Texas women roll past UTSA, 87-63

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Guard Andi Schissler hit six 3-pointers and scored 22 points Tuesday night to lead the North Texas Mean Green in an 87-63 romp over the UTSA Roadrunners in American Conference women’s basketball.

Starting fast in the game played at the Super Pit in Denton, North Texas built the lead to 27 late in the first half and then to as many as 38 early in the fourth quarter, before cruising to the win over its in-state rival.

In winning its fourth straight game, North Texas sent defending conference champion UTSA to its third straight loss. Roadrunners guard Ereauna Hardaway returned to the court she once called home and scored 19.

Hardaway also notched three rebounds and three assists. Cheyenne Rowe added 12 points and six rebounds. Idara Udo contributed nine rebounds and six points.

For North Texas, Chania Price knocked down five of six from the field and scored 14 points, while guards Aysia Proctor added 12 and Mekhia Chase 11. Proctor played the last two seasons at UTSA.

Records

UTSA 12-14, 7-8
North Texas 17-11, 11-5

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, 3:05 p.m.

Undefeated UTSA improves to 7-0 after three-game series sweep of Dallas Baptist

Posted on by
1

Kendall Dove allowed one run in five innings to earn the victory Sunday as UTSA swept three games from Dallas Baptist. – Courtesy photo from UTSA athletics

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Josh Arquette stroked two hits and produced three RBIs Sunday as undefeated and record-setting UTSA downed the Dallas Baptist Patriots 6-3 to sweep a three-game series between mid-major powers in college baseball.

A crowd of 1,049 at Roadrunner Field watched as UTSA improved to 7-0, the best record after seven games in program history. Another record was set with 3,048 in attendance for the three games.

Roadrunners starter Kendall Dove started and worked five innings, giving up only one run on five hits, to earn the victory.

Reliever Gunnar Brown, making his second appearance in two days, was almost as effective in pitching the last four innings for the save.

He yielded two runs on five hits, a day after UTSA’s 10-8 victory, in which he earned the win in 2/3 of an inning.

A bit of drama unfolded in the last inning Sunday when Brown issued one-out walks to Jake Bennett and Ben Tryon, who both later advanced on a wild pitch.

With runners at second and third, Brown responded by striking out Chayton Krauss on a check swing. Finally, he retired slugger Ryan Martin on a long fly ball to right field to end it.

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark praised his players for evolving into “a complete team” in winning the finale against the Patriots, who fell to 4-3.

“We looked like a very good baseball team today” he said. “We pitched it. We put together grown-up bats versus good pitching in conditions that were not conducive to hitting.

“We played good defense. We ran the bases (well). It was a just a very complete game. It’s one that’ll make a coach pleased.”

Hallmark raised an eyebrow when he was asked what it means to start the season 7-0.

“It means we’re OK,” he said. “It means we got a decent team. But, again, we want to improve. We’re always looking forward …. We’re looking to improve, but 7-0 is better than anything else.”

After winning seven straight at home by a combined score of 81-32, the Roadrunners play their first road game Tuesday night in San Marcos against the I-35 rival Texas State Bobcats.

“(They are) a good team and they’re good fans,” Hallmark said. “They love their team, and they mostly hate UTSA, and that’s OK. That’s what fans are supposed to do.”

On a cool afternoon with fans wearing jackets and sweatshirts and a stiff wind blowing into the hitters’ faces, the Roadrunners jumped on the Patriots in the bottom of the first.

They scored three runs on three hits, two walks and a wild pitch by Patriots starter Ryan Borberg.

With the bases loaded and only one out, Arquette bounced a single up the middle to score the first two runs.

Christian Hallmark followed with a bouncer through the right side to make it 3-0.

In essence, the inning served as a microcosm of how the Roadrunners won the series against a perennial NCAA tournament team.

They laid off pitches out of the strike zone. They took the walks when they could and then capitalized with timely hitting.

“Really it’s just trusting your approach, trusting your eyes and just not trying to do too much,” Arquette said. “Get a pitch that you can handle, and if they don’t give it to you, take the free pass.

“Because,” he added, “we can hit. So we’re going to capitalize on pitchers’ mistakes.”

The Patriots out-hit the Roadrunners 10-9, the second time on the weekend that they had more hits than the home team and still lost.

Their problem stemmed from the disparity in walks and how the Roadrunners took advantage of it.

They Patriots issued eight free passes, compared to only three combined by Dove and Brown.

Four of the eight UTSA players who walked ended up scoring. DBU, by contrast, didn’t score with any of its three who reached via the base on ball.

Dove said he felt good and tried to just throw as many strikes as possible, and then let the defense do the work.

“And they played great (behind me) today,” said Dove, who struck out six batters and walked one.

In the fifth inning, the Patriots scored their first run of the game when Jake Bennett delivered an RBI double down the left field to make it 4-1.

Afterward, Hallmark came out to the mound to tell his starting pitcher that the next batter, Tryon, would be the last one he’d face.

But after Dove struck out Tryon, he signaled to the dugout that he’d like to pitch to the next batter, Krauss, the preseason Player of the Year in Conference USA.

Dove was granted his wish, and then he retired Krauss on a long fly ball to left.

“I thought I had him,” Dove said. “I wanted to compete against him. Thanks to coach Hallmark for letting me get the opportunity right there.”

Looking into looming challenges for the Roadrunners, the Bobcats in San Marcos and then the Astros Classic in Houston next weekend, Dove said there’s “definitely” more work to be done.

“We’re starting to figure out our identity a little bit,” he said. “But it’s going to be tested again on Tuesday and this weekend, and we’ll see how we handle it from there.”

Records

Dallas Baptist 4-3
UTSA 7-0

Coming up

UTSA at Texas State, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

The Patriots haven’t been swept in a three-game series since March 3-5 in 2023 when they lost three straight to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg.